Oregon Surges in Tyran Stokes Recruitment Race

0:00On April 21st, Kentucky coach Mark Pope has been grinding hard to snag Tyron Stokes, the number one player in the 2026 recruiting class. This chase has stayed super quiet, with no commitment dates set even after April 21st. For a while, it looked like a straight battle between the Wildcats and Kansas as the top dogs. Now, ESPN's Paul B. and Cardi says Oregon is surging late in the mix, one of the schools that hung around from the start. The ducks just landed Jasper Johnson, a Kentucky native and former Wildcat target, opening the door for Stokes to join him out west. Kentucky staff has ridden a rollercoaster here, feeling on top some days and chasing others. Fans see a big Nike edge for the Wildcats over Kansas, but that could flip since Oregon's basically Nike's backyard. Stokes plans to scout the rosters of these three schools before picking, so expect a weight of a few weeks at least. Popes too deep to quit now and bagging the top guy with super charges program, but the momentum feels like it's slipping toward the ducks.